Susie Wiles

Some Lesser Known Facts About Susie Wiles

• Susie Wiles grew up in New Jersey.

  

• She worked as a staff assistant in the office of US Representative Jack Kemp in Washington, D.C., from 1979 to 1980.

• Susie briefly served as the deputy director of scheduling for Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign in Arlington, Virginia.

• From 1981 to 1982, she worked as a special assistant at the White House, serving as President Ronald Reagan’s scheduler during his first year in office.

  

• Susie served as a special assistant to the US Secretary of Labor Raymond J. Donovan in Washington, D.C., from 1982 to 1983.

• From 1984 to 1986, Susie was a principal at Summerall, Smith & Wiles, a government affairs firm in Jacksonville, Florida, where she worked with corporate and public sector clients.

• In 1985, Susie married a fellow Republican political consultant named Lanny Wiles. That same year, she moved with him to Ponte Vedra Beach, near Jacksonville.

• In 1988, she worked as a deputy director of operations for the Bush-Quayle campaign, supporting George W. Bush’s run for President and Dan Quayle’s run for Vice President.

• From 1992 to 1995, Susie Wiles served as district director for US Representative Tillie Fowler in Jacksonville. She managed local operations and handled military-related issues in the area.

• From 1995 to 1999, Susie worked in the Jacksonville Mayor’s Office, first as director of communications, and then as chief of staff. She supported city improvements, economic growth, and major projects like Preservation Project Jacksonville. She also helped secure a heritage designation for the St. Johns River and pass The Better Jacksonville Plan, a $2.5 billion community investment.

• Susie worked as a co-managing partner of APCO Worldwide in Florida, where she worked alongside Adam Hollingsworth, a business executive. 

• Susie Wiles led the company Wiles Consulting Inc. from 2001 to 2004.

• Susie served as the chief of communications and special initiatives in Jacksonville’s Mayor’s Office. She led special projects and helped start programs like RALLY Jacksonville! for early literacy, The Jacksonville Journey to reduce crime, and The Tiver Accord to protect the St. Johns River.

• She managed politician Rick Scott’s gubernatorial campaign in Florida from April 2010 to January 2011.

• Susie managed the Jacksonville office of Ballard Partners in Northeast Florida from 2011 to February 2022. She represented clients such as Republic Services (a major waste disposal company) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (a health insurance provider).

• Since 2011, Susie has been the principal at Right Coast Strategies, a PR firm she co-founded with philanthropist Tony Bosell. The firm helps clients like the Jacksonville Civic Council and Jacksonville Port Authority. Susie is also the interim executive director of the Jacksonville Civic Council. 

• Susie served as a senior advisor for Donald Trump‘s presidential campaigns in Florida from 2016 to February 2022.

• Susie served as a senior advisor for politician Ron DeSantis’s gubernatorial campaign in Florida from September 2018 to January 2019. She was reportedly appointed by Donald Trump. DeSantis praised her as the “best in the business” after his victory, but tensions between them led to her dismissal as a top advisor in 2019.

• In 2019, it was reported that DeSantis cut ties with Susie to bring his team to the state party, which was seen as a setback for Trump’s re-election in Florida. Susie later called working for DeSantis the “biggest mistake” of her career.

• In 2020, she became a senior advisor and strategist for Trump’s re-election campaign in Florida.

• In the early 2020s, Susie also worked as a lobbyist. She was with the lobbying firm Mercury, where she represented clients such as SpaceX, AT&T, and the Embassy of Qatar. However, she was not officially registered to lobby on behalf of these clients.

• Susie has been the CEO of Save America Leadership PAC on a contract basis in Palm Beach, Florida, since March 2021.

• In April 2021, Politico called Susie the new leader of Trumpworld, with control over key staff like Bill Stepien and Justin R. Clark. Under her leadership, Save America PAC paid legal fees for several Trump staffers involved in legal cases.

• She has been serving as co-chair at Mercury Public Affairs in Florida since February 2022.

• In August 2022, Susie was seen as Trump’s chief of staff as he prepared for the 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential campaign. She encouraged Trump to support Blake Masters in the 2022 Arizona Senate race, but Masters lost the election.
  

  

• In 2023 and 2024, Susie lobbied Congress for the tobacco company Swisher International and was paid $120,000 for her work.

• Susie was appointed as White House Chief of Staff for Donald Trump’s second term, two days after his victory in the 2024 presidential election. She made history as the first woman to hold this position.

  

• Susie has a great interest in football and supports the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Giants.